The Multitudes of Mass Effect
by bluegal19
Summary: One main story has been told in the Mass Effect games, bu there are so many more stories to be explored! This is a series of one-shot short stories that are based on dialogue that can be heard throughout the second and third games Mass Effect games. Not chronological and random updates.
1. Friend-zoned

**A/N**: Just a quick note that in this particular one shot, Shepard and Garrus are together already, so, even though this conversation can be heard before the Omega 4 Relay mission, it actually happens after that mission in this story. As well, this chapter is dedicated to Cassandra Y, who asked me for a happier ending to one of my stories, so I wrote this one for her. As always, I own nothing. Finally, if you like this story please review, and let me know if there is a particular conversation that you would like me to write a story for!

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Game: Mass Effect 2

Location: Eternity Bar on Illium

Conversation: Between a Quarian (Nayar) and a Turian (Dantik) on a couch inside the bar

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Friend-zoned

Dantik was more excited than he had been in a while. Nayar had messaged him a few hours ago to meet her at Eternity that night. He hadn't heard a lot from her lately because she had been too busy with that _human_ to message or get together with him. But he guessed they had some falling out, and she had seemed really excited about getting together in her voice message. Maybe after being with the wrong guys for so long, she finally realized that the two of them should get together. Spirits, he really hoped so. When he first met her, he was a security guard at a bar at the Azure hotel. He was working one night, when he heard shouts from a corner of the club. When he went over to investigate, Nayar was there in the clutches of some drunk Turian, who was pawing over her suit. The man was so drunk he was actually attempting to take her mask off, seemingly unaware that the exposure would kill the poor woman. Dantik promptly threw him off her, and bodily escorted him out of the club. Nayar had later come up to him at his post to thank him for protecting her, gave him her number and tried to convince him to come home with her. However, he wasn't about to take advantage of a girl who had almost been killed and was on top of that, clearly drunk. So despite the fact he was really attracted to her, he kept it strictly friendly, and had finally put her in a cab at the end of the night, and paid for her to get back home safely, and alone. She came back into the bar a few weeks later, and got a job as a bartender. She recognized him right away, and had been friends ever since then. After that night though, she hadn't shown any interest in him again, even as his own feelings for her got stronger. They ended up being best friends; they would get together, hang out, go to the bar or grab dinner. Unfortunately, their conversations lately would quite often talk about the guys she was with, and what they had done to either break her heart, or cause her to break theirs. She deserved better than to be with such losers who obviously didn't get her. She needed someone dependable, who already knew her, and who would treat her properly. He just had to make her see it.

As he strolled in the bar, he scanned around and saw that he was the first one there. He went up to the bar and ordered a two drinks, one Turian ale and a sterilized Turian bourbon as well as a handful of the Turian nuts he knew she couldn't get enough of. He then retreated to a couch and sat so that he had a good view of the entrance. After a few minutes, he noticed a beautiful green and gold hood weaving through the crowd, and with a smile, he stood up and beckoned her over towards him.

"Dantik!" came a feminine cry, and the young Quarian woman flung her arms around the Turian's cowl, and after a moment of slight hesitation, he wrapped his arms around her tight and pulled her in closer to him .

Much too soon for him, she pulled herself out of his embrace and flung herself with a sigh onto the couch.

"You have no idea the hell I've been going through lately" she sighed, as he sat slowly back onto the couch. "Seriously, it's just been awful. I have the absolute worst taste in men."

"That's not true" said Dantik quickly, trying to reassure her that it wasn't her who had the issues, it was just the dumb guys who she was with.

"No seriously, I do… Ooooh! You got me my favorite! You are the best friend a girl could have!"

Dantik inwardly cringed to himself. Why did she have to say that? He didn't just want to be her best friend, he wanted to be so much more.

"Anyways, where was I? Oh yeah, Ethan… God, he is such an asshole. Probably the worst dating experience I have ever had, and with my track record that's saying something."

Dantik leaned towards her, ready to give her the support he knew she needed. He could tell she was upset about the whole experience. He had also heard about all about the past guys and the stunts they had pulled, and if she said this one was bad, it probably was.

"So, tell me what happened" Dantik said, picking up his beer to take a sip, while Nayar launched into her story.

"Well, things were going really well between the two of us. We had been out a few times, and this one night, we went to this new bar in the Rinda district. We both had a lot to drunk, like a lot, and one thing led to another and we wound up in his apartment."

"And he tried to pressure you didn't he" Dantik interrupted, already feeling indignation starting to run through him. How dare this human try to pressure a Quarian into sex! Of course a human wouldn't realize and understand just how dangerous and intimate something like that could be. The linking of suits to other environments is a delicate process for Sprits sake!

"Oh no! Well, kind of but not in the way your thinking"

"Oh…" said Dantik, his sudden flare of anger abating. "Well, what did he do then?"

"Well, we were getting into it, and I tell him to, you know… use protection cause well…Duh! So then he says 'Oh, it's okay. Our amino acids are all different, so it's not like we can get diseases or anything if we go natural.'"

"I'm telling you, this is why you shouldn't date humans."

"So then, I had to explain about cross-species fluid contact. Completely killed the mood."

"Not to mention that you're a Quarian! How could he be so insensitive?" Dantik couldn't believe this guy Ethan, (what kind of a name is that anyways). Humans are just way to ignorant to date Quarians, especially someone as special as Nayar. She needed someone who would understand that she had certain needs, and these humans just didn't seem to have what it takes to be with someone like that.

He leaned in closer to her, wanting to get her to focus on him.

"You deserve somebody who respects you. Somebody who's going to treat you right" he said softly, wanting her to see that the person who she kept looking for in all the wrong places was right there in front of her, just waiting for her to realize it.

"Oh, I think I'm just going to stop dating for a while."

His mind almost shut down at those words.

"No, don't do that!" he said rather quickly. "Don't let some human spoil you."

"It's always the same thing. 'Ooh, she could get sick. She's vulnerable. I wonder what she looks like under the helmet.'"

He could understand why she felt like that, because it did hold a lot of truth. A lot of species who dated Quarians were attracted to them for certain reasons, and some of those reasons weren't all that great. A lot of guys wanted a girl who was vulnerable and in needed someone to save her. And he guessed that there was a certain appeal in the mystery of not knowing what she looked like… But that isn't why he felt the way he did. He loved her personality, She was so much fun to hang around with. She had this… magnetic personality, just drawing you to her. Plus, she was actually really smart. She knew a lot about tech, and how to build and fix things. Once, his omni-tool had been infected with a virus and Nayar was the one who fixed it for him. She was an amazing, fun woman and he wanted to be with her so bad. She just needed to see how good they could be together…

"You'll find someone out there who cares about you for who you are. Someone who's food you can eat, even" he said, glancing meaningfully at the nuts she had just picked up and was now chewing on.

Nayar shrugged her shoulders, and started sipping on her drink. Dantik frowned to himself. Maybe he needed to make his feelings for her a little more clear. He knew he needed to stop being so subtle, and just make how he felt known to her.

"Anyways, if you're hurting for things to do, maybe after work we could catch a vid or something" he suggested, trying to inject some promise of things to come into those words.

"Oh, that's sweet, but I'm okay. A little dry spell isn't going to kill me."

He cringed to himself. He wasn't trying to do her a favor by relieving her boredom! He was trying to be romantic for crying out loud. Why couldn't she see that!

"Well, we could watch 'Fleet and Flotilla.' It got awards for its portrayal of, um, Turian and Quarian relationships." It wasn't the smoothest line in the galaxy, but it was a romantic movie, and he did suggest they watch it together. Really, it was the perfect idea. If she saw just how good Turian and Quarian relationships could be, maybe it would plant the idea that the two of them could work together. Maybe then she would give their relationship a chance!

"Anyways, if worst comes to worst, I did have the nerve-stimulation program built into my suit."

"And I hear that the love scenes are…what?" He had been so caught up in his plan that he completely missed the fact that she had started talking about nerve-stimulation programs.

"Oh yeah. Standard equipment for any responsible adult. Here, let me fire it up…"

He couldn't quite believe what he was hearing, for a couple of different reasons. He was shocked that she had a program like that built into her suit, and was both turned on and horrified that she was about to use it in the middle of a crowded bar. On the other hand, he couldn't believe that she would rather use a program built into her suit than even think about the idea of the two of them. He really didn't even have a chance… Feeling dejected, he tried to think of something to say, but before he could come up with anything, he saw her shoot what he could tell was an angry look to the table beside them .

"Uh, excuse me human. Private conversation. Urg."

There were two people at the table; a tall Turian with some horrific scars marring one side of his face and a small, lithe Human with shockingly bright red hair. And both seemed to have been listening to the entirety of their conversation.

"A little space please?" Dantik shot out to the two of them, echoing Nayar's sentiments. The couple then threw back the last of their drinks, and started to stand up.

"Remind you of anyone in particular Garrus?" Dantik heard the woman say loudly, shooting her companion a wink and a smile as they slowly passed by Dantik's table.

"Hey, I got over the nerves eventually" the Turian shot back good naturedly, and wrapping one arm tightly around the woman's waist, the two exited the bar together.

Dantik sat there stunned for a minute. He had this feeling the couple had made their conversation loud for his benefit. They obviously made their relationship work, and from the sounds of it, it wasn't necessarily with an easy start…

"Nayar. I really want to take you to see a vid this weekend" he burst out. She looked up from her drink at him, seemingly startled. "I can pick you up at 7, and I'll take you out for dinner after." After a brief pauses he added, "You know, if you're free."

She stared at him for what seemed like hours, her body tensed up, with what he didn't know. She then visibly relaxed, and reached over to touch his hand.

"Sure Dantik, I'd like that" she said shyly. His mantibles opened wide in a Turian kind of grin, and he squeezed her hand gently.

"If you'd like, we could see 'Fleet and Flotilla' now, I think there's a show that starts at 22:00h" she suggested coyly. Leaping to his feet, Dantik offered his hand out to help her off the couch. As they walked towards the door, he put his hand on the small of her back, and grinning like an idiot, led her to the nearest cab.

"Well," he thought excitedly to himself, "it's a good start."


	2. A New Set of Armor

A/N: This one-shot is based on a conversation between a Human and a Salarian in Mass Effect 3. It takes place outside of Purgatory, and they are talking about the Salarian's injury and his new armor. I hope you enjoy and if you have any thoughts, please let me know!

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Game: Mass Effect 3

Location: Outside Purgatory

Conversation: Between a Human (Erika) and a Salarian (Tazzik)

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A New Set of Armor

Note: This scene is the game is what this one shot is based on, but the contents of this chapter are different from the original scene.

"Can I help you with anything ma'am?" said the Salarian merchant to Erika, as she stood off to a corner of the store, knowing full well that she looked hopelessly lost.

"Yes please" Erika said gratefully, glad to have someone to help guide her through this mess of nanocrystal shielding, shield harmonics, and skeletal lattices. "I need to purchase some armor."

"Ok, well what kind of armor would you be looking for exactly? What type of combat will it have to endure? And is there any particular make or brand you were interested in?"

Erika stared at the Salarian blankly, blinking rapidly several times. She had no idea what Tazzik would have wanted. Lord, she was in way over her head.

"Well, actually it isn't for me," she replied after a few awkward second had passed, trying desperately to get her thoughts together. "It's for a friend of mine, a Salarian. He's been called up to work for the Salarian military fighting the Reapers."

"Ah I see, so something durable that can withstand an onslaught of attacks?" the merchant asked.

"That sounds good" said Erika, still feeling hopelessly out of her element.

"May I ask, is there a particular reason that you're purchasing this armor? It is unusual for a human to be shopping for Salarian armor."

"He was uh, attacked while on a mission. He's a soldier, an engineer, and he was trying to drive back forces on Jaeto, and a wall collapsed on him and he almost died. I heard that it broke right through his shields…"

Erika took a breath to calm herself down. She always got upset when thinking about what had happened to her friend. They had been part of a tight knit group of friends at C-Sec, but he worked out on the wards, while she worked as a forensic biologist back in headquarters. Even though he loved the action of a day on the job, out on the streets, and she would rather stay in comfort in her warm lab, she really did consider him her best friend. They would hang out all the time; walks around the Citadel, or just sit and watch vids at someone's apartment. She had always been a shy girl, and later a shy woman, and Tazzik had been the only one to bring her out of her shell. He had the ability to make her just as excited as he was about almost any subject.

Then the damn war started, and everything changed. Tazzik was asked soon after the Reaper invasion of Sur'Kesh by the Salarian Dalatrass to work as a tactical engineer for the Salarian military. Erika always thought that he had some connections to the military, but he had never mentioned it, and she wasn't exactly one to pry. But soon after he left C-Sec, she got word that he had been transferred to Huerta for internal injuries. She found out from his doctors that his armor had given out after being crushed by a wall when Reaper forces attacked his unit. She knew the typically military grade armor he had been wearing just wasn't good enough, and she wanted to make sure he was safe when he went back on duty.

"Alright, so it sounds like your friend is going to need some heavy armor with good shield capacitors."

"That sounds about right. Anything you can recommend?"

"Well, Kassa Fabrications makes a decent one, with some good shield regeneration. There is also one based off Cerberus Ajax armor, which also has good regeneration as well as improved ammo capacity."

"Well, I was looking at the one displayed in the window. It looks…good" finished Erika lamely. She had seen something about shields on the description, and now that she had an idea of what his armor needed, she thought that she might as well ask.

"Oh, that Vohrtix. Yes, it's one of the best on the market right now. State of the art shield and shield capacitors, and it's also heavy armor, able to withstand a beating that any Reaper army could give."

"Well, I think I'll get that one then" replied Erika. If she was going to buy him armor, she might as well buy the best right?

"Just so you know, it is a little… pricey" said the salesman in a voice uncharacteristically slow for a Salarian.

"Well, how much is 'pricey'" Erika asked, a knot of dread already forming in her stomach.

"230 000 credits"

Erika's mouth physically dropped open. She could not believe that armor could cost that much.

"Oh…" she said slowly, her mind whirling about how she would be able to pay for something that expensive. "Well, could I come back in a few days after I uh, think about it?" she asked.

"Of course" said the Salarian politely, and with that she left the store despondently.

"How in the hell am I going to get the money to pay for something like that" she though dejectedly, as she walked slowly to her car. She had wanted to get that armor for him so badly, but her pay couldn't support a purchase like that.

She reached her car and stretched down to open the door, when a thought came to her that made her pause. She stepped back, and looked down the length of it. The car was a Mark II 2187 Blackout; hottest car in town, brand new, and her baby. She had saved up for over a year so that she wouldn't max out her credit limit. God, she loved it so much. But, if she sold it, maybe she could have enough money…

Erika looked back towards the armory, and saw the shine of the Vohrtix glinting across the way, and she knew at that point what she had to do. She sighed gently, and stepped into the car, and flew off.

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The Salarian armory merchant was just finishing off the day, when the computer monitor in front of him blinked, and informed him that an extranet order was just coming through. As the order came up on the screen, a small smile made its way across his features. The order was registered to a human woman, the same one who had been in earlier, and it was for a Vohrtix Salarian armor set to be delivered to a Tazzik Klan at Huerta Memorial Hospital, to be delivered on a rush order.

"Tazzik", the merchant thought to himself, a smile still lingering on his face, "you are one lucky guy."


	3. Krogan Poetry

A/N: So this story is based on the Krogan poet that is seen in Mass Effect 2 on Illium, and the conversation that Shepard has with his Asari girlfriend Ereba. The last poem seen in this story, as well as the characters are property of Bioware but the other two poems are mine :) I hope you enjoy!

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Game: Mass Effect 2

Location: Illium

Conversation: Based on the Krogan Poet and his Girlfriend

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Krogan Poetry

Char stormed into his apartment on Illium, almost smashing the door into pieces on his way through the apartment. He paced around the room wildly and he knew that if anyone walked in at that moment, they would have been scared stiff at his slightly wild demeanor. Char didn't like to be this way— a terrifying menace that everyone else was scared of, but he just felt so out of control. This hurt was killing him; he had never felt this broken in his life, not even after his brother had tried to (literally), stab him in the quads back in his third century. All he wanted to do was be with her, be her mate, maybe even start a family. Just…have a normal life together. But he supposed that was just too much for a Krogan to ask for. Ereba was the only person who made him feel happy, and he couldn't stand to lose her.

Life had been difficult to say the least, though in a different way than most of his fellow Krogan. He had always been an outcast among his people, despite the fact that he was, at least physically, a fine Krogan specimen. He had always been strong, and could have done well either back on the home world or off world as a mercenary. But, the life of a Krogan had never been enough for him, and he quickly tired of the constant fighting, scavenging, and violence that seemed to define his existence for so many years. He wanted stability, which was a rarity for any of his people. After watching yet another one of his people fight themselves into a pointless death, he had called it quits, and went to Illium to life the life that he wanted. Over time, he started to find it. He got a good job as a transport officer, paid rent on his own apartment, only owned one gun, and he wasn't forced to treat it like it was the only thing in the world that mattered. Then Ereba walked into his life.

He had met the beautiful Asari at a bar one night on Illium, and he never looked back. She was so sweet and funny. He knew she cared for him, and he loved her more than anyone else in this universe. He loved her so much that he suggested the possibility of a mating ceremony and having children. He supposed that was the reason she backed off. Bringing up having a family with her may have been too much. Actually, he knew without a doubt that was the reason. He knew their lives were longer than most other species, and getting together in that way would really be a lifelong commitment. But he wanted it so much, to be a father and a mate, to take care of a family and grow old together over the centuries. But she backed away, saying that she needed to "think things through," and that "a break would be good for the both of them."

"Asari..." he grumbled to himself under his breath, "always wanting to think things through." He knew what he wanted damn it! And gods be damned if he was going to let her go.

What he needed was a plan, and it had to show Ereba that he wasn't just another Krogan, or any other male, for that matter. He needed to prove his love to her, and show her that he was different. But how?

Char stopped his frantic pacing, marched over to his computer terminal, and fired up the extranet. He wasn't always the most romantic male, but to get her back was going to take something out of his comfort zone, but where to start? He sat back for a moment, and typed in the words "romantic gestures." He found himself suddenly assaulted with over 23 million results.

"Oh dear god" he thought to himself, "this is going to be a very long night"

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Char searched through sites for the next six hours, and by the time that his morning alarm rang, he still felt hopelessly lost. While he now knew the proper courting rituals for both Drell and Hanar, and an uncomfortable knowledge of human sexual relationship enhancement accessories, he was no closer to figuring out what to do for Ereba. He ran his hand across his giant forehead in frustration and moved onto the next site, though his expectations weren't very high. The site was dedicated to some human author named Shakespeare, and as he scrolled down the page, the writings all seemed to be different kinds of poetry. He was just about to click off, when a particular writing caught his eye.

Sonnet 116

Let me not to the marriage of true minds  
Admit impediments. Love is not love  
Which alters when it alteration finds,  
Or bends with the remover to remove:  
O no! it is an ever-fixed mark  
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;  
It is the star to every wandering bark,  
Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.  
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks  
Within his bending sickle's compass come:  
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,  
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.  
If this be error and upon me proved,  
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.

Char exhaled loudly after he finished reading, slumping back in his chair. He had never really given poetry much thought before (and really, what Krogan had?), but this was something else. There were so many different ways that this Shakespeare guy talked about love, and they all made sense! Love not changing, love outlasting time, love as a fixed mark in the universe. That was it, he was going recite poetry for Ereba, but it wasn't just going to be any poetry. Oh no, he thought to himself, a plan already slowing forming in his head. He decided that he was going to do one better and write his own poetry. Char looked more intently at the screen, and thought that if Shakespeare could write over 154 of these sonnet things, then he could easily write a couple of poems for the female he loved. A large grin spread across his face, and he bounded over to grab one of his spare data pads, and began composing his own masterpieces.

A few hours later, Char was flopped on his couch with the data pad at his side, feeling mentally exhausted. Writing poetry was a lot more work than he had anticipated, but he was pretty sure what he had done was a damn good job. He had written out three, and had ideas for a few more, but decided that was a good place to start. He had even named them, Sonnets 34, 67 and 82. Even though he had only actually written three, he figured that by having higher sounding numbers, it made it sound like he was more accomplished. Moving his hand to his side, he picked the data pad back up, and went over his own poems one last time before heading out.

Sonnet 34

Oh, my fair Asari maid

How willowy and tall you stand,

Blooming from the shadows of the city,

The most succulent flower among them all.

But there are Pyjacks who hide in those shadows,

Which seek to destroy all life, and pick it

Until the bones are dry.

Let me be your protector

And use the ashes of Tuchanka and

The venom of the Maw

To build a fortress that will

Keep you safe and standing tall and proud for all to see.

Sonnet 67

Dearest star, light of my world

How you shine from afar

A steady gleam that I reach for

As I sit upon the ground of Tuchanka.

There are so few stars to be seen here, as

The sky is covered in ash and grime

That pollutes everything on this world

But you are able to cut through the filth

And bring that light back into my life

And to this dull, lifeless planet

Please dear star, shining blue in the night

I hope that you might come closer,

So I might live in that light,

And I in turn will protect you

With all the force that my ancestors have placed within me.

Here, you will be safe.

Sonnet 82

Blue Rose of Illium

You have blossomed in a tower of glass and plastic

But beauty under glass is untested and weak

Where are your honored dead

To fertilize the ground that you might grow strong

On the rocky plains of Tuchanka

I will build you a garden from the bones of my ancestors

Let your roots dig deep into the hot soil

Let our scorching sun and acid rain turn your beauty into strength!

He smiled happily at his work, slipped the pad into his coat, and turned to leave the apartment. His plan was to go grab some breakfast and practice his poems in peace until he had them practically memorized. He figured it would look better if he just let the poetry flow as if he was just coming up with the words, and that's what always seemed to happen in the vids. Then he would go find Ereba and woo her with his words, and he desperately hoped that she wouldn't be able to resist. Feeling much better than he had the night before, he stepped out of the apartment. He walked down the street, off to reclaim his lady love.


End file.
